Northern Mariana Islands’ Economy Grew 4.4 Percent in 2013

Newly published estimates of gross domestic product for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) show that real GDP – GDP adjusted to remove price changes – increased 4.4 percent in 2013.

For comparison, real GDP for the U.S. (excluding the territories) increased 2.2 percent in 2013. The growth in the CNMI’s economy reflected increases in consumer spending and exports of services. Consumer spending, which was the largest contributor to economic growth in 2013, increased 12.3 percent. This increase was driven primarily by durable goods, reflecting growth in purchases of motor vehicles.

Tourism continued to contribute positively to the economy in 2013, after posting double-digit growth in 2012. Exports of services, which consists mostly of spending by tourists, increased 8.8 percent in 2013 after growing 17.2 percent in 2012.